Established in 2011 in Charlottesville, Virginia, The Scout Guide is a woman-founded franchise that delivers a premium promotional platform for small businesses. Created by Susie Matheson and Christy Ford, the brand has grown its footprint to over 90 U.S. cities, offering a distinctive blend of print and digital exposure for independently owned enterprises.
Franchising since 2013, The Scout Guide empowers local entrepreneurs with the tools to champion the businesses in their area. Each franchisee curates and publishes beautifully designed city guides that are distributed at no cost to households within protected territories.
The Scout Guide’s publications highlight a wide variety of businesses—from interiors and travel to fashion, wellness, and lifestyle—while placing strong emphasis on the individuals behind them.
More than just an advertising service, the franchise fosters genuine community ties by positioning its franchise owners as local connectors, celebrating the spirit and stories of small business ownership.
Here's what you would need to invest if you were to start this franchise. These costs are provided by the franchisor in the Franchise Disclosure Document.
The Scout Guide provides a comprehensive training framework designed to prepare new franchisees for operational success. The program covers both foundational skills and advanced business processes, ensuring each franchisee is well-equipped from launch through ongoing operations.
The Scout Guide franchise offers franchisees an exclusive territory, meaning that within a designated geographic area, the franchisor agrees not to establish another company-owned or franchised outlet selling the same or similar services.
This territorial exclusivity does not depend on the franchisee meeting specific sales targets or market penetration levels. However, the franchisor may reduce the territory size during renewal if population growth warrants subdivision.
Despite this territorial protection, The Scout Guide reserves the right to use other distribution channels, including online platforms, catalog sales, and telemarketing, to conduct business within a franchisee’s territory. These activities may use different trademarks than those authorized for the local franchisee.
KEY FRANCHISE STATS
All you need to know about this franchise
?
?
?
?
Below are some of
The Scout Guide
key competitors in the
Marketing
sector.
94
$50,000
$130,000
$288,000
n.a.
$0
$xxx,xxx
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
RedKnight is a marketing-services franchise offering lead generation, digital advertising, and AI-driven revenue operations, serving local businesses seeking performance marketing support, and known for data-driven campaign management, centralized technology platforms, and recurring retainers that help clients scale customer acquisition efficiently.
?
?
HerLife Magazine is a media and publishing franchise offering local women’s lifestyle magazines featuring fashion, business, and community stories, serving female readers and advertisers, and known for turnkey publishing systems, community-focused content, and multiple print, digital, and event-driven revenue streams.
?
?
Locals Love Us is a community advertising franchise offering neighborhood business rankings, print guides, and digital directories, serving local merchants and residents, and known for voter-driven “best of” lists that boost credibility, visibility, and measurable marketing results.
?
?
Network Lead Exchange is a business networking franchise offering a proprietary online platform and chapter-based lead groups, serving entrepreneurs and professionals seeking referrals, and known for organized, industry-exclusive chapters that reward members with commissions for closed referral business.
?
?
TapInto is a content-marketing and digital-franchise service offering hyper-local news websites under franchisee ownership, serving local business advertisers and community readers, and known for turnkey digital platform, recurring ad revenue and scalable model.
?
?
yorCMO is a fractional marketing franchise offering outsourced CMO services, serving small to mid-sized businesses, and known for its proven process, back-end support, and rapid launch for marketing leaders.
?
?
Choosing a franchise goes beyond reviewing fees and financials — it requires an honest assessment of your goals, skills, and risk tolerance. This article outlines the key questions prospective owners should ask before committing. It helps clarify whether the opportunity aligns with your lifestyle, long-term plans, and operational preferences.
Speaking with current and former franchisees is one of the most reliable ways to understand how a franchise really operates. This guide explains how to conduct validation calls, what questions to ask, and how to identify patterns in feedback. It provides a practical framework for uncovering real performance expectations and support quality.
Not all franchise opportunities offer the same potential. This article breaks down how to evaluate a brand’s industry, financial health, support systems, and competitive positioning. It helps prospective buyers compare options and identify franchises with strong long-term viability.
A clear, well-structured business plan is essential for securing financing and preparing for the realities of franchise ownership. This article explains how to build a plan that covers market analysis, operations, staffing, and local marketing. It also outlines how to create realistic pro forma financials, including revenue projections, startup costs, and break-even analysis. Readers gain a practical framework they can use when applying for loans or planning their first years of operations.
.png)
